Giving Thanks for Thanksgiving!

Gratitude is something that I want to ensure I teach to my daughter. Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to start a tradition of gratitude and thankfulness. There are lots of great books to help teach kids about being grateful, and today I used two of them to inspire some learning fun!

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Fun with Franklin for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a time for friends, family, gratitude and delicious foods. My parents have always had an open door policy for our holiday meals, believing that anyone who doesn’t have a place to go has a place at our table. Today’s book is a great reminder about sharing what you have with others and creating new traditions.

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Plump and Perky Turkey Fun!

When it comes to getting a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, you probably just stop by your local grocery store or farm. For the people living in one little town, getting a turkey is much more difficult!

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A Plump And Perky Turkey - By Teresa Bateman (paperback) : TargetA Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman tells the story of Pete the turkey and the townspeople of Squawk Valley. The people in the town need to get a turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner, so they decide to trick one into coming to town. They host a turkey themed arts and crafts festival to capture a vain turkey. Pete doesn’t want to be dinner though, and he may just outsmart the people of Squawk Valley! This story is an entertaining read aloud written in verse, and accompanied by colorful and fun illustrations. Kids will love reading about Pete again and again!

Overcoming the Election Negativity with Positive Books

Help kids deal with the election negativity with these positive books about America and citizenship! #kidsbooks #americapicturebooks #teachingkidsabouttheelectionThis election has me very worried about the state of our country and the future we’re building for our children. As adults, we are supposed to be the role models, the positive influences and the good decision makers. Yet, the news is filled with people name-calling, interrupting, and making decisions that we would not accept from our children. It may seem oversimplified to think that we can fix all of our issues by working together and being respectful. However, I believe in the impact of positivity and respect. So, to overcome the negative attitudes that kids may be absorbing during this election, I decided to find positive books about America and citizenship. These books can remind kids and parents how America can be great while showing us how we can all help to make it a better place.

Great Books for Babies!

“Why should I start reading to my baby when she can’t even understand the story?”

There is a misconception that reading to kids only revolves around the story and their understanding of it. But there are so many important reasons to read to babies, starting with the fact that they will learn from the very beginning that books are awesome! My parents read to me on my very first night home from the hospital. It was a short story out of a collection of 1 minute fairy tales. I read out of the same book on my daughter’s first night home from the hospital as well. I have read to her every night since then, and at 2 years old, she already loves to be read to and to look at books on her own.

Soup From a Stone!

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soup-from-a-stone Stone Soup is an old tale that has been retold for many years. There are many versions available using a wide variety of illustration styles and characters. The main character in the story is a stranger who wanders into a village looking for food, but no one in the village is willing to share what little they have. The stranger convinces everyone he can make soup from a stone, and they are all intrigued. He asks each person to add just a tiny bit of their ingredients to his pot with a stone and watch while he makes soup. The community learns that by each giving a little, they can help each other!

9 Fun Halloween Books for Family Read Alouds

The Halloween season is upon us! While kids are planning their costumes and making trick-or-treat plans, don’t forget to find time to enjoy some fun and spooky stories together! There are a ton of great Halloween books for children including everything from monsters and vampires to costumes and pumpkins. Whether you are looking for lighthearted seasonal fun or books to teach a lesson or help face a fear, there are plenty of great books to meet those needs. I cannot possibly list all of the amazing Halloween books, but these are some of my favorites.

Scary Fun with the Monster at the End of this Book!

Are your kids afraid of monsters? My daughter recently decided that she is scared of monsters. She only mentions it right before bed, and she doesn’t seem too frightened when she talks about it. To head off any later issues with monsters that she may have developed, I decided to ease her fears with some monster fun, courtesy of one of my favorite books as a kid!

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Growing with the Apple Pie Tree!

Fall is my favorite season. I start looking forward to it about halfway though the summer. I love going apple picking, drinking cider, baking pies, wearing cozy sweaters and watching football. Today’s book goes along with my love of all things apple and autumn as well!

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Fly Swatter Fun with the Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

fly-swatter-fun-with-theold-lady-who-swallowed-a-fly

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Twelve Months (Plus!) of There Was an Old Lady | Music Therapy KidsThere Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly is a classic song that has been retold in story form many times. There are many popular versions available with different illustration styles. The bestselling Old Lady series by Lucille Colandro has many spin offs of the original for different seasons and holidays. Simms Taback’s take on the story won the Caldecott Honor Award Medal. Whichever version you use, there are a lot of fun activities you can use to bring this story to life.